Langer provides some light relief

The Sight of groundsmen zipping up their anoraks and taking up battle stations usually elicits a very English sort of groan when seen at the cricket grounds of these isles.

But at The Oval on Friday there was barely a murmur of dissent when, with covers at the ready, Justin Langer accepted the offer to walk off for bad light and supposedly impending rain.

When the Ashes are at stake the paying punter is obviously prepared to make an exception, especially when the home side are sliding into the kind of perilous position that they were after two sessions of the second day.

England's total of 373 always appeared inadequate after they had won the toss in benign conditions, and it was looking all the more so when Australia piled on 112 without loss.

So there was no great outcry - save from the smattering of Australian supporters - when umpires Rudi Koertzen and Billy Bowden declined to bring the players back, despite no apparent deterioration in the light.

At one point Michael Vaughan and his team got as far as the bottom of the pavilion steps before being waved back by Koertzen. In what be must the first instance of his men failing to follow him this season, some had already scampered off to the dressing room when it became clear that battle was not about to be rejoined.

A slow handclap broke out but it was almost as if logic quickly caught up and it died out as soon as it started. So three more days separate England from the Ashes, and how ironic it would be if Langer's dubious meteorology had a say in the urn's destiny should the lost overs become crucial.

Judging by what had passed before he and Matthew Hayden trudged off, the weather could be England's greatest ally in trying to seal a series win. Although the outof-form Hayden looked reduced to the role of merely holding up an end, there had been little to trouble one of the most misfiring departments of the Australian team.

Prior to yesterday their highest opening partnership of the series had been 58, but now they have built a platform from which can be constructed an intimidating lead to further test the nerve of England's 11 players and the rest of the population.

Australia batted with a purpose that suggested they were looking to have only one innings in this match, with their hope that Shane Warne will have his final Testmatch bowl in England when the pitch is properly wearing.

It is quite a prospect, especially as Warne is now on 34 wickets for the series, equal to the number he took when he burst to prominence in the 1993 edition.

The worry has to be that Australia will amass 500 or above to place pressure on batsmen who appeared to be susceptible to it in the first innings.

It is a testament to Simon Jones' progress that without him England's attack has lost considerable edge, especially as there were already signs of reverse swing - the Jones speciality - from Andrew Flintoff in his seven overs.

Australia may well be thinking that provided they can see off the home side's prime all-rounder, they can successfully chip away at the others. That said, it was Paul Collingwood's makeweight medium pace that produced the only clear chance of their innings when Langer slashed him to Marcus Trescothick at slip, who could not grasp the ball high to his right.

Overall, England's depleted attack managed to keep the lid on, and so far they have conceded at a relatively pedestrian rate of less than 3.5 per over.

Langer tried to break free by smacking Ashley Giles for two sixes in his first over, but was more sedate when the left- armer changed to the Vauxhall End. Hayden is probably playing for his international career and was accordingly cautious, leaving the ball in a fashion alien to his former swashbuckling ways.

In the blazing morning sunshine, England's tail had defied the terrors of the new ball to wag with some effect and expose some anxiety among the Australians in their haste to start building a reply.

Removal looked like being a swift process after Geraint Jones had failed to defend his off stump against a Brett Lee delivery which didn't deviate a great deal.

Giles and Matthew Hoggard, the pairing who famously held their nerve at Trent Bridge, then began to cause the tourists more aggravation by using up nearly 11 overs in putting on 20 runs.

Ricky Ponting dropped a Hoggard edge off the 30th ball the Yorkshireman faced and there was further irritation when Koertzen failed to hear a clear nick from Giles off Glenn McGrath that flew straight to Adam Gilchrist.

McGrath was so furious that he sent Michael Clarke to take his cap off the umpire at the end of the over, his frustration compounded by Harmison pulling at anything short and streaking his way to 20. Giles' luck ran out when he was wrongly given out lbw by Bowden on 32, with the last two wickets having added a game 48.

Nonetheless, 373 looks a dangerously modest score after winning the toss against a world champion team forced to fight for their reputation. England will hope that the element of temerity in walking off will be reflected over three days that may not exactly pass by in a flash.